Which Step Is Most Important?

The longest journey begins with a single step, right? And any journey end with a single step. And there are steps between the beginning and the end. When discussing philosophical matters, what do the steps represent? Obviously the journey itself represents change from one situation to another. Physical aspects of such a journey are simply an outward manifestation which may be required to achieve a new opinion, attitude, thought, et cetera.

The first step represents the realisation that a change is reiquired or desired, and the decision to do something about it. The question regarding the first step is whether that realisation and decision more important than actually achieving the desired or required result.

After the first step comes the journey itself. The journey is all about trying, about leaving the old self behind and searching for the new state of being. It could be said that a decision to make a journey is absolutely worthless without the journey, that unless the journey is actually attempted, the decision to make it is nothing but wishful thinking.

The final step of course is reaching the destination, achieving the desired state. The materialistic view may very well be that any journey is just a waste of time and effort if it doesn't result in something. And clearly the real world requires results from good intentions, else no problems would ever be solved. For the lives of those currently with us and those yet to be born, results are obviously important in creating the world around us. A better world is not made by people with good intentions and wishful thinking. Nor is it made by people who set out to achieve something but never do. Improvements are made by those who are able to take that last step and make the dream real. But then nightmares are made by the same people, by those who want destruction and are able to make it happen.

A complete lack of first steps would mean there would never be any journeys, and never any destinations. Without journeys, first steps are nothing. And without final steps, intentions and efforts never come to fruition. But of course there would be no journeys or final steps without the first steps.

It seems to me that each is as important as the others in abstract philosophy, but in reality the world is changed one way or another by those who can take the final step and make things happen.